An ignition switch is described in EP 1,468,884 A1, which is used to start or turn off a vehicle engine. The ignition switch is arranged in the vicinity of a steering column and has a body arranged to be movable in a housing. A switch element is also integrated in the ignition switch, which serves to detect a displacement of the moving element. A symbol element is also situated on the moving element. This symbol element serves to display the status of the vehicle engine. In this type of ignition switch, a driver touches the moving element and moves it with his finger, so that the switch element starts or shuts off the engine. It has proven a drawback in such ignition switches that the symbol element often cannot be clearly recognized, so that a user remains unclear about the status of the vehicle.